


The Ones We Leave Behind

by a_reckless_being (orphan_account)



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Crying, Death, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Post-Episode: s04e07 Darkness on Umbara, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, how tf do you tag, i hate pong krell with a burning passion, if you want to cry and you don’t have an onion read this, im really sorry for writing this lol, no beta we die with honor hoes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:01:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25944019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/a_reckless_being
Summary: Umbara was a disaster if anything. So many are dead, but it’s starting to look like those left behind have it worse.Rex is many things. A captain. A soldier. An idiot, if you ask the right person. And a cyare. How does one mans death bring his world to such a screeching halt?
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/CT-7567 | Rex, CT-21-0408 | Echo & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-6116 | Kix & CT-7567 | Rex, Obi-Wan Kenobi & CT-7567 | Rex
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	The Ones We Leave Behind

The ghosts of that once belonged to the bodies of his dead comrades seem to follow him back to the ship. Rex’s mind is tangled. There are too many emotions he’s fighting to keep at bay, lest they threaten to overthrow his sanity. It’s safe to say that the only thing keeping him from collapsing is the adrenaline that miraculously hadn’t failed him yet, and the eyes of what’s left of the 501st on the gunship around him. 

They’re all exhausted and he knows it. They’re worn down. Struggling. Suffering.

I have to keep going for them.

Rex is called back to reality by Kix’s gentle voice.  
“C’mon ,vod. We’ve made it back to the hangar,” he coaxes before turning back to their wounded.  
He straightens, pulling his shoulders up.  
“Right,” he coughs out.   
Stepping out of the gunship and into the hangar of the massive metal beast they called the Resolute seems to take him ages.

Yet through his mental fog, one thought rises above the others, chanting incessantly in his mind.

Got to find Cody. Find him.

It hurts to move. To take in the shocking ruins of the 501st and now 212th. A stream of dirtied white and yellow armor stumbles from a gunship just landed to his far right. His head whips towards it, eyes narrowing in a hope to focus on one soldier...

To no avail.

Rex’s heart rate climbs shakily as General Kenobi trudges from the gunship, express sober and eyes red. Suddenly the noise around him becomes too much. There are too many troopers hurrying about, too many wounded being carried in defeat. He’s turning in circles unsteadily, unable to hear the voices of his concerned brothers. 

He finally focuses on one medic in particular.  
Obiwan is steering him away from the crowd and in the direction of the med bay before he can argue.  
“Wh-“ he starts  
“Just one moment, Captain Rex. I need to get you to the med bay,” Obiwan informs carefully.  
“Don’t need the med bay. Cody. Wher-?” Rex tries again. Kenobi stops him as they reach their destination. As soon as they’re in a quiet corner, the General grabs him by both shoulder gently.

“Rex, I need you to listen to me very carefully,” Obiwan starts, “Cody has been-“ he stops as if he’s struggling to find the right words.

Rex blinks, desperate for more information.

Finally, Obiwan looks him in the eyes, guilt obviously written on his face.

“Cody didn’t make it.”

Rex stares. 

What kind of sick joke is this?

“No.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“He’s-“

The next thing he knows, his knees give way underneath him, sending him to a kneeling position. 

Rex shakes silently, eyed glazed and flooded as he stares at his tears as the fall to the floor. He doesn’t even notice the several pairs of hands on his shoulders, trying to comfort where they can.

Someone has wrapped him in a sitting hug and is crying with him. He blandly guesses that it’s Fives.

First Waxer.

Then Echo. 

And then my cyare.

He sobs violently as the memories of Cody come rushing up to meet him.   
No more quiet nights spent memorizing skin. 

No more I love you’s for no one else to here. 

No more laughing at a bad joke and no more painting his lovers armor with a careful hand.

It hits him that’ll he’ll never feel his lips again. Nor his strong embrace. He’ll never lay under Cody’s caring gaze for another second of his seemingly now pointless life.

Those residing in the med bay join with him, albeit their tears less violent, as he demands to know why the force has stolen his heart away from him.

Why?

Why me?

Why must I bare this pain without him?


End file.
